A private R1 research university in Boston, MA, admitting 11.11% of applicants with 18,248 undergraduates along the Charles River.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston University is a private R1 research university in Boston, Massachusetts, founded in 1839. It enrolls 18,248 undergraduates and 18,932 graduate students across more than a dozen schools and colleges, including the College of Arts and Sciences, the Questrom School of Business, the College of Engineering, the College of Communication, the College of Fine Arts, the Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Wheelock College of Education and Human Development, and the School of Hospitality Administration.
Social sciences, business, communication, and health sciences account for the largest shares of bachelor's degrees. Boston University holds a Doctoral University: Very High Research Activity (R1) Carnegie classification and is accredited through the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE). Boston University is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. BU's campus stretches along the Charles River in Boston's Fenway and Allston neighborhoods, with facilities spread over approximately one mile of urban Massachusetts Avenue.
Official website: bu.edu
UCD scores every college on four pillars: Outcomes, Value, Affordability, and Selectivity. Within peer group A (four-year selective institutions), Boston University scores 81.82 overall, rated Strong. Selectivity scores 96.28, reflecting an 11.11% admit rate. Outcomes (94.80) reflects an 88.66% six-year graduation rate and strong urban career placement. Affordability scores 23.41, driven by an average net price of $24,402 and a federal loan rate of 22.92%. All scores use verified federal data only.
Boston University is among the most selective universities in the country, admitting 11.11% of applicants. Boston University is test-optional; submitting SAT or ACT scores is not required. Students who submit scores typically average 1,480 on the SAT, with the middle 50% ACT range between 32 and 34. Boston University uses the Common App with a required supplemental essay.
The Early Decision deadline is November 1 (binding); a second Early Decision round closes January 1 (binding); the Regular Decision deadline is January 1. Applicants apply to a specific school or college within BU at the time of application; some schools, including the College of Fine Arts, require an audition or portfolio.
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Boston University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Boston University charges $68,102 in tuition plus $19,020 in room and board in Boston, bringing the estimated total cost of attendance to approximately $87,000 before aid. The average net price after all grants and scholarships is $24,402. For families earning under $30,000, the average net price is $9,500. For families earning between $30,001 and $48,000, the net price averages $9,342. For families earning between $75,001 and $110,000, the net price averages $22,517. For families earning above $110,000, it averages $47,504. Boston University's federal loan rate of 22.92% and median debt of $23,250 are among the higher figures in this peer group, reflecting loan-inclusive aid packages.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Application fee: $80 (one-time, due at submission)
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
Boston University completes the large majority of the students it enrolls. The six-year graduation rate is 88.66% for full-time, first-time bachelor's-seeking students. The four-year rate is 76.38%, lower than the six-year rate partly because BU's large size and diverse program mix includes students in extended degree programs and cooperative education tracks. First-year retention stands at 94.61%. The federal loan rate of 22.92% and median debt of $23,250 are above the selective-school average, reflecting loan-inclusive aid.
Boston University graduates earn above the national median for private research universities. Median earnings are $65,655 six years after first enrolling and $83,238 at ten years. At the ten-year mark, 89.72% of former students earn more than a typical high school graduate.
The earnings figure is lower than at peer schools with heavier engineering or finance concentrations, reflecting BU's large programs in communication, education, social work, and the arts. Questrom School of Business and College of Engineering graduates typically earn above the institutional median; communication, education, and fine arts graduates show more variation. Boston location provides access to major employers in financial services, life sciences, technology, and healthcare.
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Boston University enrolls 18,248 undergraduates along the Charles River in Boston, one of the most concentrated higher education markets in the world. Asian students account for 20.55% of undergraduates; white 32.22%, Hispanic 11.45%, and Black 5.92%. Nineteen percent of undergraduates receive Pell grants, and 16.94% are first-generation college students, both above average for selective private universities.
Boston University is the largest private research university in New England by enrollment. The Boston area hosts major employers in life sciences (Pfizer, Biogen, Vertex), financial services (Fidelity, State Street), technology (HubSpot, Wayfair, Amazon), healthcare, and consulting within walking or commuting distance of campus.
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
Where students live, learn, and connect at Boston University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Boston University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 257 distinct programs across 27 majors. Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings. Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
Boston University operates at a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio. 69.86% of instruction is delivered by full-time faculty. Instructional spending per full-time equivalent student is $35,988 per year. The endowment stands at $3.53 billion. Boston University School of Law, Boston University School of Medicine, and the Goldman School of Dental Medicine are graduate programs that contribute to the university's research infrastructure and healthcare training pipelines. BU's Photonics Center and Institute for Global Sustainability are leading research programs; BU faculty have included Nobel laureates in chemistry and physics.
3,227 instructional faculty across 6 ranks. The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
| Rank | Faculty Count | Share | Avg Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Professors | 641 | 20% | $216,726 |
| Associate Professors | 491 | 15% | $149,935 |
| Assistant Professors | 982 | 30% | $123,241 |
| Instructors | 146 | 5% | $71,485 |
| Lecturers | 413 | 13% | $91,103 |
| No Rank | 554 | 17% | $125,635 |
Boston University's defining strengths are its 11.11% admit rate (more selective than most ranked universities its size), Boston location with exceptional employer access, an 88.66% six-year graduation rate, and program breadth across business, engineering, communications, fine arts, and health sciences in a single urban campus. UCD 81.82 Strong.
The trade-offs are significant: the federal loan rate of 22.92% and median debt of $23,250 are among the higher figures in this peer group; ten-year earnings of $83,238 are below several peers; and the 69.86% full-time faculty rate means significant reliance on part-time instructors. Best fit for students who want a large, diverse urban university in one of the strongest job markets in the country, particularly in communication, theater, health sciences, or business, and who qualify for meaningful need-based aid.
The questions below address what students and families most commonly search about Boston University: how selective admissions are, how BU compares to Boston College, what the campus experience is like, and what graduates earn.
One federal dataset, 3,839 colleges. The median school costs $16,371 a year, admits 78% of applicants, and enrolls 1,259 students. The shape of US higher ed.
Across 1,645 four-year colleges, graduation rates climb steadily with selectivity, from 54% at open-admission schools to 93% at the most exclusive. The gap is real.
For-profit colleges post the highest median net price of any sector and the lowest graduate earnings. They cost more than private nonprofits and pay less than publics.
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